Apple Releases AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.9.1

[macduke]

This is exactly what it is happening with mines. Did you figure out anything else?

Not yet. I just got back into town last night and updated the firmware. Hopefully this fixes it but I don't have high hopes. Something similar started happening with my old AirPort Extreme N, which I think was about this old. I bought the AC around launch time, and I have quite a few wireless clients in my house since I have smart home stuff and I've added a lot more in the past year. I think things like Ring cameras area always checking video in the cloud too so it's just non-stop video streams from the front and back at 1080p. It's probably taxing. If this update didn't clear things up, I might try taking it apart to see if it has too much dust buildup and is overheating. What's weird though is that I don't get disconnect messages for my Ring alarm system when it goes down, but when I do something like reboot the WiFi I get the message that it's down. It's like the WiFi is still up, but it's not connecting to the internet gateway properly. I've been wanting to replace the ISP provided modem since it's probably garbage and I've never heard of the brand and I have to pay monthly for it, but we're required to have a home phone on battery backup by the fire marshall for my wife's daycare (and it's only $10/mo through cable vs. $60/mo for traditional) and when I upgraded to 500Mbps last summer (I'm waiting for faster WiFi 6 mesh before moving up to 1Gbps) I couldn't find a DOCSIS 3.1 modem anywhere that has digital landline connections. I should probably search again as DOCSIS 3.1 has become more popular. If I can't find something, I'll probably call the cable company to see if it's on their end, which is my least favorite thing in the world to do ever.

 

[danmart]

Tangential to this thread but in the Keynote yesterday they talked about HomeKit routers in collaboration with a couple of different vendors. Maybe there will be a HomeKit enabled router / NAS solution that comes along which is a spiritual successor to the TimeCapsule?

 

[Steve121178]

Anyone know of any other company that discontinues a product and then releases a firmware or software update for that product 6 months or more later? Hats off to Apple! Many thanks!

Literally tens of thousands of different PC's, servers, routers, switches, firewalls & dozens of other infrastructure related hardware.

 

[magbarn]

They work well until they become old and filled with dust and overheat

Find YouTube videos on how to remove the bottom casing and use some compressed air to blow out the dust. I do it yearly on my 3 TC's and they keep running and running...

Ugh, I hate to say it, but don’t live in the past (trust me, I live in the past when it comes to a lot of things in my life).

The AirPort Extreme was good for it’s time but all the current mesh systems destroy it in terms of performance. The Netgear Orbi is an absolute beast. To hear you praising the ancient AirPort Extreme (and as a so-called power user) at this point just seems silly.

Maybe if you're far away from the base station, but I did try the mesh networks and none come close to the top speed of 1.3Gb/sec that the lastest Gen airports are capable of as the mesh consumer routers dedicate more bandwidth to the backhaul instead of connection to the clients.

 

[colticus]

That is not correct. My 802.11ac AirPort Extreme easily handles 900+ Mbps through the WAN.

View attachment 839881

If you're talking PPPoE then it will be significantly slower than that, but not as slow as 400 Mbps.

Yea my airport Extremes (3) do very well in my setup. Wired I get 920+down and 940+up consistently. Wireless is good as well. Can get over 450 down and 600 up on my iMac (2017 model) 2 rooms away.

 

[tbone7467]

were there any performance improvements or removed features? or was this simply a security update?

 

[MrGuder]

My Time Capsule just started blinking orange and saw there was a firmware update, just updated to version 7.9.1....am I late? Wonder why I just got the orange blinking notification.

 

[mavots]

Ugh, I hate to say it, but don’t live in the past (trust me, I live in the past when it comes to a lot of things in my life).

The AirPort Extreme was good for it’s time but all the current mesh systems destroy it in terms of performance. The Netgear Orbi is an absolute beast. To hear you praising the ancient AirPort Extreme (and as a so-called power user) at this point just seems silly.

I have heard a lot about these "mesh" networks.
I get very frustrated with my Airport setup. Sometimes it works and then all of a sudden it doesn't.

So I'm up for something new.

The most important feature for me is to be able to connect my iTunes library from my primary Mac Pro to my stereo receiver via Airport Express. I have a 1/8" to 1/4" plug splitter adapter that plugs directly into the L + R Tape inputs of the receiver. This allows me to play any internet radio station In the world and I can change channels from my couch with an iPad.
This is extremely important to me and I have relied on this feature for about 15+ years (iPad came later). Whenever Airplay was released. I even bought an extra Airport Express recently in case my older one dies.

Is there a similar feature with these "mesh" networks. Something that can be simply plugged directly into my receiver?

Thanks, Maris

 

[free1000]

I have heard a lot about these "mesh" networks.
I get very frustrated with my Airport setup. Sometimes it works and then all of a sudden it doesn't.

So I'm up for something new.

The most important feature for me is to be able to connect my iTunes library from my primary Mac Pro to my stereo receiver via Airport Express. I have a 1/8" to 1/4" plug splitter adapter that plugs directly into the L + R Tape inputs of the receiver. This allows me to play any internet radio station In the world and I can change channels from my couch with an iPad.
This is extremely important to me and I have relied on this feature for about 15+ years (iPad came later). Whenever Airplay was released. I even bought an extra Airport Express recently in case my older one dies.

Is there a similar feature with these "mesh" networks. Something that can be simply plugged directly into my receiver?

Thanks, Maris

I recently reviewed some of the top "mesh" networks (scare quotes because some of them are not true mesh) and in general they had less features than the airport series. Main thing for me, no they do not include the 'audiophile' level DACs built into the Airport express which is my main use for them. Not only that but their USB and Ethernet support is weaker or non-existent.

Apple seems to have designed the excellent airport system as a kind of media+storage network, not just a raw wireless network, hence the DAC and data storage/time machine capabilities. The main downside is that my AirPort Extreme speed is now lower than my super fast connection where I get 60-90Mb/s, but in functionality terms my AirPort Extreme network wins, if not in speed or reach of connection.

Seems like with external devices like the Yamaha WXAD10 streaming adapter there are now some good alternatives for the airport DAC's, so at some point it makes more sense to try a mesh system.

 

[free1000]

This is exactly what it is happening with mines. Did you figure out anything else?

I've been seeing this for about three to four weeks now. Hence I've started doing research on the mesh systems to replace my network. I wondered if something in the various OS upgrades/security might be at fault, but I'm seeing it on all devices that connect including an Amazon fire, so Apple OS updates wouldn't explain this.